The Hero Hyrule Forgot
by SoundGeare
Summary: Link is the town drunkard. After Zelda sent him back to restart his life, it all went wrong. Now he spends his days on a corner begging for change, and each night he spends that change on all the whiskey he can get. As he feels the numbing power of the whiskey wash over him, he obsesses over the memory of a farmgirl he used to know a long time ago.
1. Chapter 1

Link sat on a worn wooden stool in the dim bar. He leaned on the counter, one of his hands clenched around the mostly empty whiskey bottle as if for dear life.

He coughed once and his raw throat began to burn.

Must be all that damn smoke in the air. When he'd first walked into this cheap shack , his eyes had burned from the heavy grey clouds that floated across the ceiling. That had few hours ago and he had long since adjusted to the burning smoke in his eyes, the sour smell in his nostrils, and the generally filthy quality of this place.

But Link still came here every day that he could, because it was all he could afford.

Tipping his head back and pouring the last of the bottle's contents down his throat, Link felt the whiskey bite at his throat as it continued to dull his senses.

Dropping the empty bottle on the surface of the bar along with the others, Link hailed the barkeep and ordered another bottle.

"Are ya sure you've got the money for it this time? Don't wanna catch you tryin' ta cheat me again."

"Yeah, I got your money." Link growled, placing the last of his money on the surface of the bar. " Just get me my damn whiskey."

The barkeep picked up the trio of copper coins and returned with a bottle and a glass. Setting the glass down he filled it with whiskey and handed it to Link.

"Hey, what are you tryin' ta pull? You know I take it by the bottle."

"Yeah I know that, I also know that it's seven coppers for a bottle. You gave me three, so the glass is what you get."

"Fine." Link scoffed, picking up the glass and pouring the amber liquid down his throat.

Turning to the man sitting next to him, Link said, "Ya know, a few years ago it wouldn't be like this. He'd be, be paying me to drink here. Not this bullshit, I come in here everyday. He's already gotten enough money off me. I used ta be somethin'."

The man looked over at Link for a moment with glazed eyes before collapsing onto the bar's surface and passing out.

"Eh I didn't want ta talk to you anyway." Link said dismissively, punctuating the sentence with a loud burp.

Throwing the rest of the whiskey down, Link stood up and left the glass where it was.

"Hey I think I'll, think I'll go home for the night. Just, do me a favor," Link yelled across the room at the barkeep, "If, if she comes here lookin' for me. Will ya let me know? Cuz she, she said she'd be here tonight. But it's, I'm gettin' tired. Think I'll head home. Will ya tell her?"

"Yeah, sure I'll tell her." The barkeep said, "But hey, don't go bothering the people who live there now. They don't wanna talk to some drunk this late at night."

"Whatever, "Link muttered, "Hey, who are you calling a drunk? I, uh, you're the drunk."

"Yeah, sure. See ya tomorrow."

Link left the dingy bar and stumbled out into the street. Light shone down from the moon up above, illuminating the street in a faint glow.

Watching his breath fogging up as it left his mouth, Link started thinking about how he got there. Walking away from a bar at what must be near midnight.

It had been cold like this night, or maybe not. The broken fortress had been floating just over a pit of lava.

* * *

The air was hot and the sky was dark, the moon and the stars were nowhere to be seen.

Just minutes before, Link had finally finished his quest, what had been his goal for the majority of the last seven years. And now it was over.

Some of Ganondorf's blood was still drying on the rubble of his once grand castle.

Then Zelda offered him something that changed it all. She said that she could send him back to before it had all happened. Back to the time when he was just an innocent little kid living with the rest of the innocent little kids in the innocent Kokiri forest.

Of course Link had agreed. Who wouldn't? He had seen all the atrocities that life had to offer, and he didn't want them. He wanted everything to be simple again. He wanted to be a kid forever.

He told her so and within a few moments he found himself standing in the Kokiri woods. He was ten years old again, innocent again.

But it was all wrong, and nothing went like it should've.

First of all, he wasn't innocent. All that he'd done, all that he'd seen, all the memories remained.  
And as Link soon remembered, he was not destined to stay the same forever as the other children were. Some part of him had hoped that if he never left the forest he would never lose his identity as a Kokiri.

Soon enough Link found himself growing beyond the limits of the other children and they noticed.

Before long, Link was being expelled again and this time there was nothing for him to do.

He headed to the one person he though could give him something to do, since she alone knew of his predicament. He found no difficulty in sneaking past the castle guards a second time.

The only real problem was the princess herself.

"But you've gotta be able to get me a job or something." Link complained.

"I'm sorry Link, but I have no authority over the Castle staff. You'll have to make you own way in the world it seems."

Feeling angry at the princess, Link turned his back on her and stormed away. It took only a few seconds for one of the guards to catch sight of him and to throw him out on his ass.

* * *

Tripping over a small pile of trash and debris, Link stumbled and fell to his knees. He just sat there staring at the ground in front of him for a while, watching it swim and shift in front of his eyes.

Finally his arms gave out of their own accord and Link rolled over and into the gutter.

He lay there in the filth, staring up at the sky. At one point he felt his bladder let go of its urine and Link was soaked in the bitter smelling liquid.

But Link neither cared nor noticed. He just lay there looking up at the sky that was so full of stars and the bright face of the moon.

The moon had been just as big the night he met her, watching over him as he fell in love, though he didn't know it yet.

* * *

Link had managed to make a living by taking on a series of odd jobs. Sometimes he shoveled manure, sometimes he mopped up the vomit outside the towns bars, sometimes he carted away the corpses of the elderly deceased.

The only thing these jobs always had in common was that they were disgusting and demeaning.

He was cleaning out the fountain, a job that be done at night so as not to disturb the public.

Personally, Link didn't care about the public and would rather be cleaning the fountain in the daytime when he could see what he was doing.

But it wasn't his decision, and he was being given ten coppers for the work, so he did it.

As Link silently scrubbed down the interior of the fountain, he heard someone approach him from behind.

"Umm, hello? Is there someone there?" a voice called over the rim of the fountain.

"Yeah," Link said, "I'm down here."

"Oh, hi. I'm Malon" Said the girl.

"I'm Link."

* * *

Staring blankly, Link thought about the day he met Malon, and tears stung his eyes at the memory.

* * *

This is gunna be two or three chapters long. The whole thing as much or more depressing than this. I hope you stick along for the ride, you've made it this far there's not that much more to go.

Please review so I can know if this is an interesting idea to more people than just me.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wake up you damn bum."

Link woke up to a sharp pain in his ribs, the result of a recent kick in his ribs. Link scrambled away from the unknown assailant and immediately fell over onto his back.

His head pounded with the grinding pain of last night's whiskey.

Link started to open his eyes to look at the attacker, but they clamped shut once they met the glaring sun. Holding one of his hands tightly over his eyes, Link peered through a slit in his fingers.

"Where are ya? Where'd you go dammit." Link shouted at the man who had already disappeared.

"I save yer ass, I don't deserve this shit."

A softer blow from behind sent Link sprawling to the ground again.

This time he leapt to his feet in time to catch the attacker. He found himself staring into the eyes of a young man who seemed surprised and confused by Link's sudden appearance.

"What'd ya do that for, huh?" Link demanded. "Watch where the hell you're walking!"

The man tried to walked around Link but he blocked his path. "Hey, where're you goin? There's a coupla words people usually say when you fucking kick someone in the back of the head!"

"I'm sorry," the man said and Link let him pass.

As the man disappeared, Link heard him mutter, "Crazy bastard…" but before he could confront the man, he disappeared into the crowd and was lost from view.

"Wasn't worth my time anyway," Link muttered.

Instead of pursuing the man, Link turned away and headed for the place he usually went when he first woke up.

A few minutes later he was standing outside a large building. There was a crowd of people out front, most of them with the same dirty and disheveled appearance as Link.

Up at the front there were a few young, clean cut people standing behind a table that bore huge pots of soup.

Link's stomach rumbled hungrily at the sight of the brass pots and the thought of the warm liquid inside.

His second favorite liquid, right behind whiskey.

After nearly twenty minutes of standing in line, Link had reached the table.

A young man handed Link a thin wooden bowl and a similar spoon before ushering him on toward the next person.

This one stood before one of the pots and was holding a ladle.

Link handed over his bowl and waited for it to be filled.

"Before I give you your soup," An artificially cheery voice said, "What are you gunna do today to get yourself back on the right track?"

Link met the sugary smile with an angry glare. "I'm gunna drink whiskey till I drop, now give me my damn soup."

One of his hands shot out and snatched the bowl away and held it close to himself.

As he walked away, Link heard the slightly put out volunteer turn to the next hungry person and say just as cheerfully, "Before I give you your soup, what are you gunna do today to get yourself back on the right track?"

* * *

Link didn't have a hat.

He didn't have a bucket or even a little tin cup.

So as he sat on the corner, Link just held his hands out in front of him, waiting for someone to give him some whiskey money. He didn't buy dinner anymore because he usually coughed out the contents of his stomach at the end of every night. But maybe if he was lucky, there would be enough dirty coins for a piece of bread or something he could chew on.

Someone walked up to him with a glowing smile plastered on their face and handed him a gold coin. "I hope that's just what you need to get yourself back on the right track." Then the benefactor with the plastic smile was gone, just melted away into the crowd.

Bread AND whiskey, probably.

* * *

Malon came by a couple of times per week. Her dad delivered a lot of milk to the castle and he wasn't allowed to take her in with him.

On those nights when Link was usually working a hard job or wandering alone, she kept him company.

Sometimes when there was no work to do they played games.

One of Link's favorites was drawing with bits of charcoal or chalk. He drew things he had encountered in his other life. Things like skeletal Stalfos soldiers, or the great Deku tree. Malon usually drew things from the ranch, chickens and horses and stuff like that.

Link hate hide and seek, he'd never really liked it. It bothered him to be IT, to be all alone while everyone did their best to avoid you. Sometimes I seemed too much like everyday life for him. But it was Malon's favorite game, so he played it with her whenever she asked.

They talked too, whenever they weren't playing games they just sat at the fountain and talked. Sometimes they told each other about their days, and sometimes they just joked around.

For the first time in what had seemed like forever, Link felt happy.

* * *

Link stared out at the world from his place on the corner. The crowd milled past him and most of them didn't even notice the dirty man squatting against the wall.

He'd been there for hours, the sun had long since reached its peak and was now on the downward curve.

Link reached one hand into his pocket and pulled out the coins he'd gotten that day.

Ten coppers, a rock which Link discarded, a small silver piece, and the gold.

That was more than enough for tonight's whiskey. He was going to be drinking like a king.

If his luck held out.

Link stood up and left the corner where he had spent his day. Walking toward the bar Link remembered too late about the danger and barely caught himself as someone shoved him into the dirt.

"Hey bum, you find anything interesting today?"

Link tried to pick himself up out of the dirt but a foot was firmly planted on his chest, shoving him back down. Link stared up warily at the trio that stood above him.

The one that did the talking was dressed in a long patched coat and ragged boots. There was a hat on his head.

Behind him stood a brute of a man, at least a mile from head to toe. Beside his bulging muscles, there was nothing memorable about the man.

The third was the one who was standing on Link's chest. He had a length of wood in his hand that was sturdy enough to beat a man's brains out. Link had seen it done and had almost gone through it firsthand on several occasions.

"I got nothin'." Link said," Just a couple coppers and one of those little silvers. Nothing you'd want."

"Why don't I believe you?" said Donnie, the one in the hat. "You seem convincing enough but for some reason… Oh yes, that's it. You've tried to pull one out from under my nose before."

Donnie walked over to Link, standing beside him and looking down at him.

"And no matter how many _fucking_-_times_-_we talk_-with_ you_-" Donnie said, each pause accented with a hard kick in the ribs, "You always seem to think I'm some kind of idiot. Do I look like a fucking idiot you miserable piece of shit? Do I?"

Link coughed and blood came out. "No, you're as pretty as a fucking picture."

Donnie let out laugh as he turned to the big man, "You hear that Ricky? He says I'm pretty, like a picture."

"A picture of a dumbass dog." Link muttered.

The man with the stick, Jackie, let out a snort of involuntary laughter.

Donnie spun around and landed another hard kick in Link's ribs.

"What was that!" He growled, "Say it again, to my face why don't ya? And you!" He said turning to Jackie, "You better cut it the fuck out or I'll have Ricky pop your head like a grape! You hear me? A fucking grape!"

"Yeah, sure whatever you say boss." Jackie said, his face suddenly tense and emotionless.

"That's better. Ricky, check out his pockets. See if out friend is as sincere as he seems."

"Sure thing boss."

Ricky lumbered over to Link and reached a massive hand into his pocket. It came out filled with Link's coins.

The man held his hand flat and stared at the money, his lips moving silently as he looked it over.

"He's got a gold here boss." Ricky said.

"Does he?" Donnie said, looking into the giant's hand. With a single movement, he plucked the shiny coin away from the rest and said, "Not anymore he doesn't." Then with his other hand he swept the remaining coins out of Ricky's hand and into the mud covered street.

Then he spun around and kicked Link again, viciously driving his toe into Link's flesh.

"Stop lying to me you fucking bum!" He shouted. "The next time you do, I'm gunna kill you!"

Then he said in a lower tone, "Come on boys, we got what we wanted."

The three men left Link and headed along a network of alleys to their next victim.

"Kill me…" Link mumbled, "Yeah, I hope you do."

* * *

It had been almost a month since they had first met.

Link and Malon were playing a game together when her dad returned from the castle.

"Malon," He called out, unable to see them in the darkness. "It's time to go home now."

She came running up to him and said, "Aww, me and my friend were in the middle of a game. Can he come home with us and play tomorrow?"

"Uh, I dunno." He said, surprised by the request. "Probably not. I'll bet he's got parent's who'll be missing him."

Link joined the pair and stood next to Malon, "No, I usually just sit around out here after she leaves."

"Is this him?" Her dad asked.

"Yeah," Malon said, "This is Link."

"Oh, so are you saying that you don't live with anyone. No parents or anything?"

Link shook his head. "I'm kinda on my own."

"Oh, well why not. You wanna come home with us?"

Link looked over at Malon with uncertainty in his eyes. She nodded her head, so he turned back to her dad and said, "Sure."

So they all climbed onto the wagon and headed out of the city.

There was a guest bedroom that Malon's dad let Link sleep in, and he was grateful. It was the first real bed he'd slept in for what seemed like forever, but was really closer to three months.

Link woke early from habit, and was surprised to find himself indoors. After a few brief moments, Link remembered where he was.

Unsure of what to do, Link quietly snuck outside and began to wait for people to wake up.

He was surprised to find that he wasn't alone.

As soon as Link walked outside, Malon came running over to him from a large field.

"Hey Link!" She said, "Goodmorning. Wanna go play?"

"Uh, yeah. Let's go."

As they ran off toward the field, Link realized how much different she looked in the daylight. Her hair was bright red instead of a dull grey. Her eyes were deep blue, much like Link's own eyes.

It wasn't until Link could see her fully, that he realized how pretty she was.

* * *

They were all sitting at a table with food in front of them. Link and Malon and Malon's dad and another man who Malon said worked for her father.

"So when you said yesterday that you don't live with anybody," Malon's dad said, "How do you get by? Do you live in an orphanage or something?"

"No, I'm on my own. I do odd jobs and buy my own food."

"Oh," he said, "Because Malon's been asking me to ask you, if you'd like a job here. We could give you a room, the one you slept in last night, actually. And there's food, and we can even pay you too. What do you say? Its actual work, but I don't think it's anything you can't handle."

Link was silent for a moment, startled by the sudden offer.

But once he could speak, Link readily agreed.

"That's great," Malon's dad said, "Do you have anything back in…" He stopped talking when Link shook his head.

"Okay, well," Malon's dad said with a smile, "Welcome to the ranch."

* * *

Link stumbled through the door of the bar.

His legs were weak from the beating and his eyes were bloodshot.

Sitting down at the bar, Link slammed down all the money he had been able find in the mud. The silver, and four of the coppers.

When the bartender walked over to him, Link grumbled, "Get me all the whiskey that'll pay for. All of it, bring me a half coppers worth in a thimble if you need to."

"Sure thing, what happened to ya man?"

"Donnie and his coupl'a idiots got me again."

The bartender sighed, "Why don't ya just give them their damn money? Ya know their gunna kill you one of these days."

"Yeah," Link muttered, "That's what I'm countin' on."

* * *

Ok I've got the whole story mapped out and it's gunna be four chapters long. So we're at the halfway point right now.

Review, let me know it its any good, the usual.

Thanks


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey wake up kid, it's time to get up."

Link's eyes jerked open and he sat up slowly. Mumbling something incoherently, he stretched his arms out as far as they would go.

The first thing Link noticed when he climbed out of the bed was that for the first time since leaving the Kokiri forest, his muscles and joints weren't uncomfortably sore after waking up.

Link left the room and headed downstairs. He started to walk outside but was stopped by the sound of Malon's voice from a nearby room.

"Hey where're you goin? Ya haven't had breakfast yet."

Link followed the voice and found that Malon was sitting at a table along with her father and another man.

"Oh, yeah, right." Link said happily, joining the people at the table.

* * *

Link woke up and immediately knew something was wrong.

His gut was twisting and lurching and his whole body felt icy.

He started to stand up but had to catch himself on a nearby wall. Looking down at one of his hands, Link saw that it was shaking uncontrollably.

"That's, that's fine." Link stammered, "Nothing t-too bad. J-just need some f-food. That's all. Then I'll b-be okay."

But something deep inside of him felt inherently wrong, and Link had a feeling that he might not be okay.

* * *

Link worked hard at cleaning out the horse's pens, despite the nauseating stench.

He was used to disgusting jobs, and at least this one gave him a bed, and food, and getting to see Malon every day. Not just on a blue moon.

Plus her father and that other man seemed nice enough.

This was actually the happiest he had felt in a while. For once he wasn't a complete outsider, or something people ignored and tried to forget about.

Even as he shoveled the foul stuff out of the horse's pens, Link felt a grin creep over his face.

He hadn't felt this good in a long time, and Link hoped that the feeling would last forever.

* * *

The soup burned in Link's throat. Not a pleasant, soothing burn, but an acidic, painful one.

Before he could swallow a drop, Link started coughing and wasn't able to stop for almost a minute.

Link dropped the bowl into a nearby pile with the rest and stumbled away from the throng of hungry vagrants.

As he neared his corner, Link was forced to lean against the wall most of the way. Mostly from the weakness he felt in his legs, but also partially because his vision was swimming.

Link didn't want to pass out and kill himself by landing on the cold hard floor below. Maybe he would be able to slide down the wall or something, ease the impact.

After a while, Link's journey was complete and he collapsed into his usual spot.

Link watched the people mill past from his place on the floor.

From his perspective they all seemed to be giants, their heads at least a mile from the ground.

Link held one of his hands out, hoping to collect some sort of money. He was immediately forced to withdraw it as a hideous fit of coughing wracked his throat and lungs.

After a minute of torture, Link lay on the floor feeling utterly exhausted.

Maybe this would be the day he died.

* * *

As time passed, Link settled into a routine and was able to complete his work quickly and efficiently.

It helped that he couldn't spend any time with Malon until all the days jobs were completed.

Most days he was finished by midafternoon, leaving the rest of the day free to relax and talk with Malon whenever he got a chance.

She was done with her chores before he was, since she was both more skilled from a lifetime of this type of work, and weighed down by a lighter workload.

But once they were both done, they would often sit in the barn or the middle of the field and talk about whatever came to mind. Sometimes they would play games, but as more and more time passed, they both began to feel they had grown out of childish activities like hide and seek or drawing contests.

Link was contented, as he never thought he would be, to sit and listen to anything she had to say. Every word that came out of her mouth could have been the most important thing in the world to him.

At one point she taught him how to ride a horse, and from that point on they would often take short trips away from the ranch. Just prowling the surrounding field with her seemed to be an adventure that dwarfed any other.

As the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months, the months to years, Link began to realize something more and more though he never spoke a word of it to anyone.

Malon was the best thing in his life. She brightened his days and he itched to be with her whenever he was not.

As the time passed, Link began to realize that he loved Malon.

Though he never spoke a word of it to anyone

* * *

The world all seemed broken

It had all turned grey a long time ago and all Link could see was a dusky haze that swam in front of his eyes. He might have been awake, might've been asleep.

He might've been dead.

He didn't know. The only things he knew where the swirling emptiness in front of his eyes and the bone shattering, mind-numbing pain that filled the rest of his body.

But that had happened a long time ago, so far away.

So far away that it might have been a dream.

Might have been a dream

Link's eyes opened with a gasp and he tried to jump to his feet. However, he immediately found that he was much too weak to stand let alone jump.

As the hazy world still flickered on the edge of his vision, Link realized that he was lying in a bed, something he hadn't done for years.

Not since…

Link felt a tear start to form, but its progress was abruptly halted by a sudden fit of painful coughing.

Out of the desolate darkness, a person appeared.

"It's okay. Calm down now, you're just sick." A voice tried to console him, "You're in a hospital, you'll be fine. Just try and sleep. That's the best thing you can do right now."

Link wanted to say something. That he didn't need anyone to take care of him. That he was healthy and well enough to leave this surreal place.

But before he could speak, Link's stomach growled noisily and the person said sweetly, "Oh you're hungry. That's what it is. Let me go get you some soup."

The person disappeared from Link's side for a moment and returned with a wooden bowl full of soup.

She handed it to Link but he just stared at it, as if he would find something in the murky depths.

Exhaustion began to latch onto his fingers and Link felt them start to shake uncontrollably.

They gave one final spasm and the bowl fell from his loose grip.

As he watched the nourishment fall and spill all over his lap and the bed, Link realized just how hungry he was and that he would give anything to have the soup back.

Within a second the person was roughly rubbing a ratty towel over Link in an attempt to clear away the wasted soup.

Link's stomach growled again as he watched the warm liquid get mopped up and taken away.

* * *

Link finished shoveling the last bit of grime and stepped away from the clean stall.

Hanging up his tool, Link returned to the house in search of Malon. However, Talon stopped him just before he reached the door.

"Sorry Link, gunna have ta ask you to stay away from the house for a little bit."

"What, why?"

"Don't wanna interrupt do ya?" Talon let out a deep hearty chuckle. "They grow up so fast."

Link leaned to the side and looked around Talon. Through the window he could see Malon and an unknown man talking in the kitchen.

"Who's he? What's goin on?" Link asked.

"Malon, seems just yesterday she was just a little girl. Now she's getting' married and all. Makes me wonder where all the time went."

"What?" Link demanded, suddenly feeling shocked and panicked.

"That man in there, "Talon said, "He asked me for Malon's hand in marriage. They're talkin' in there right now and if she likes him, well then we're gunna be having a wedding."

Link didn't say anything.

"Of course you'll be invited, "Talon said happily, unaware of Link's feelings.

_Though he never spoke a word of it to anyone_

"Everyone will be. I'll be so happy for Malon to have someone to take care of her once I'm gone." Talon said, nudging the still unresponsive Link. "Ya know, I'm not gunna be here forever. And I want to know that she'll be happy."

"Yeah, I understand." Link said distantly, his expression blank and his eyes staring straight ahead. "You just want her to be happy."

Talon smiled broadly and clapped Link on the shoulder.

"Well I'll see ya at dinner."

"Yeah," Link murmured, his mind somewhere else, "I'll see ya at dinner."

Link walked away from the house and felt an iron clamp close over his heart.

_Though he never spoke a word of it to anyone_

* * *

:( poor link

How was this chapter? I'm not sure if I was able to make their relationship clear enough so feedback will really help clear it up for me. Thanks in advance for everyone that takes the time to leave review.


	4. Chapter 4

To understand most of what present Link does in this chapter, you have to remember he's really sick and has a fever. If the first scene doesn't make that clear, I just want to make sure you know.

* * *

Link opened his eyes and sat up.

Looking around her realized he was in some strange place. Beds were lined up in a neat and orderly pattern. All white linen, and dead people.

They were dead, all of them. Every single one of the people in the beds was dead.

Looking down, Link realized that he had been in one of the beds. He had been one of the people in the beds. Maybe they were going to come for him next.

This was his chance.

Link looked down at himself and realized he was wearing a thin gown of rough grey fabric.

Hardly warm, but there was no time to argue and no one to argue with

Being stealthy to avoid the watchful eyes of whoever had abducted him, Link stayed low and moved among the scores of deathbeds.

Searching for a way out, Link found a small window at one end of the room. A small patch of sunlight shone through it and into the room.

That window was the only way out, Link had no other option.

Forgoing secrecy and stealth, Link stood tall and bolted for the window.

He was surprised when he encountered no resistance during his escape, but it might have been because he was stealthy and quick. He had outmaneuvered his captors and thus had survived that cruel death chamber.

Link leapt through the window and tumbled to the ground a few feet below.

He succumbed a few minor cuts and bruises but was largely unscathed.

Wiping some of the broken glass off of himself, Link picked a direction and started to run.

Anywhere, as long as it led away from the room full of beds full of dead people.

He would not join them

He would NOT die like those others

* * *

Link had watched the man leave that day. The one who was supposed to be courting Malon.

He never came back and Link never heard anything about him again.

But there were others.

Soon enough they came in such a steady stream that Link was unable to spend any time at all with Malon.

Every moment of her days was either spent with a suitor, or preparing to meet a suitor.

She had no time left for him, the kid she had met in Castle Town one cold night. He was just ancient history, something to be forgotten and thrown away once she was done with him.

Of course, she didn't need him anymore, never did.

She could have whoever she wanted. She was beautiful, fun, not to mention her dad owned a ranch that would belong to her and her husband someday.

Not that any of the suitors cared about the first two.

All they wanted was money.

Money, money, money

No one else could see it, not Talon, not Ingo, not even Malon herself.

One time he had tried to warn her about it, but she had simply dismissed him.

"What are you talking about?" She had said, "They're perfectly nice, none of them are like that at all. Why don't you stop making up stories and get back to work?"

Because that was all he was. The ranch hand who used to be her friend.

The day Link realized this shift in their relationship, he cried. It was the first time he had cried for years on end because it was the first time he had had any reason to.

Between the time he met Malon and moved to the ranch and now, those were the best years of his life.

But now it seemed it had all come to an end.

One day Link heard some commotion from the house while he was mucking out the stables, so he went over to see what was happening.

When Link looked through the window he saw Malon standing next to a kneeling man with a huge smile on her face. On her hand there was a shiny golden ring.

She'd said yes.

Link couldn't move, he was frozen by the glass, watching the pair of them.

Looking up, Malon caught sight of him and waved one hand at him dismissively.

Waving him off

The universal sign of wanting someone to go away

Turning away from the glass, Link growled, "You want me to go? Fine I'm gone!"

Going into the house, Link headed upstairs to his room. He grabbed his few belongings and stuffed them into a bag.

Then, moving with a heavy stride, Link left the house.

He left the ranch, and his job.

He left Talon and Ingo and Malon and the horses.

He walked away from all of it and never went back.

* * *

The cold wind cut through his thin gown, piercing straight to the bone.

Link pulled his arms close to his chest and clenched his fists, trying to hold back the shivering and chattering teeth that were sure to come soon.

There was frost in the windows on the side of the street. When had it gotten so cold?

Link's bare feet were numb against the icy sidewalk.

So many people were shuffling past him, their heavy coats guarding against the cold. Their warm homes sure to stave of any attack the winterous environment had to offer.

Then one of the people caught Link's eye, something about her.

Something familiar

She had red hair, a similar type of red hair that reminded him of something that had happened a long time ago.

But what?

Link gritted his teeth and pressed his palms against his temples.

Why did his head hurt so much today?

It felt like there was a fire lit just behind his head, all of the ferocious energy trapped in the confines of his skull.

Feeling suddenly interested, Link started to follow the girl with red hair. Whoever she was, maybe she had been someone important to him before.

Malon?

That name, who did it belong to?

It seemed so important to him.

* * *

Link felt more alone than he'd felt for so many years.

He hadn't felt this way since he was a kid, living alone on the streets of the city. That had been so long ago but Link felt like those years might as well have not existed.

They hadn't meant anything, none of it had meant anything. Link had wasted his life, wasted everything on her and she just tossed him away.

His footsteps echoed on the wet city pavement, sending up little splashes of water every few feet. His shoes and the cuffs of his pants were drenched. His hair was soaked and the rain was working its way through his shirt.

Seeing a building up ahead, its door was open in a manner that almost seemed inviting.

As he neared it, Link saw a small wooden sign hanging on the door that said OPEN.

If anything, maybe he could escape the rain for a moment. Ducking inside the building, Link found himself in a dim room. Smoke floated near the ceiling and the air was filled with the buzz of constant speech.

Link ventured farther into the crowd, curious.

The tide of people pushed him in a foreign direction and Link found himself seated at on a stood next to some kind of counter.

Next to him a man was clutching a bottle of some kind. Moving jerkily, he took a swig from it and let his head collapse to the counter.

Somehow he seemed at peace, maybe in sleep he didn't have a chance to think.

Taking a peek at the label on the bottle, Link saw that it read "whiskey"

Someone said something to Link but he was unable to discern the words over the uproar.

"Huh?" Link shouted, trying to be heard over the din.

"What do ya want?" Asked a man whose face was overshadowed by a massive mustache. "Buy somethin' or get the hell out."

"Uh," Link muttered, then he parroted off the only thing he knew to be served, "Whiskey."

"Sure thing."

The man disappeared from sight then returned with a bottle of the liquid.

"That's seven coppers." He said.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Link muttered reaching for his money. He pulled out the allotted amount and traded it for the bottle.

He took a drink and nearly choked as the burning liquid slid down his throat. Before he had a chance to cough it up, Link took another sip and it went down easier.

Not by much, but a little.

Link could already feel his head getting cloudy, his thoughts getting muddled.

His memories being forgotten.

And for the him, that was a good thing.

* * *

Link followed the red haired girl down the street.

His body felt weak, so he was forced to stay hunched over and to lean on the wall to support himself.

Several times he thought he had lost her in the crowd, but she always reappeared in a timely fashion.

Who was she? And why did she seem to be so important?

Link wanted to know, wanted to find out.

Suddenly Link felt an itch in his throat and the sensation was followed by a tortuous bout of coughing. Pulling his hand from his mouth, Link noticed disdainfully that a spot of blood occupied his dirty palm.

Wiping it off on the thin gown, Link dismissed it and continued in his pursuit.

After only a few more minutes, she finally stopped.

Coming to a house, she stood in front of one of the doors and started to fumble with some keys. Suddenly the door opened seemingly of its own accord and she walked in.

Link could hear her voice but was unable to discern the words.

He reached the door just as it shut and found himself locked out. Stuck out here, alone on the street.

Maybe he would never know who she was or why she was so important.

* * *

"Hey, you know that ranch out there in the fields? Lom-lom or something like that?"

"Yeah, I think so. What about it?"

"Well what I heard is, that old guy who owned it-"

"Malon?"

"No, that's his daughter, I think. Well her dad, I heard he died a few days ago."

"No kidding?"

"None. I also heard that the guy she's married to, some kid a few years older than her, he sold the it as soon as he could. Didn't even wait for the funeral or nothing."

"Wow, what a bastard."

"Yeah that's what I said. Well she wasn't too happy bout it, but it was all and done with by the time she knew anything about it. Well I guess he used the money to buy a real nice house here in the town or something. It's better than living out in the middle o' nowhere like they were."

"Yeah I guess."

"Well that's no place to raise a kid or nothing. I mean with all the bandits and monsters that are out and about these days. It's a wonder they haven't gotten killed by now."

"Yeah you're right. Hey didn't the king say he was gunna do something about the monsters and thieves? Send soldiers or something?"

"Oh yeah right, cuz that's always the answer to everything. Just throw soldiers at it."

Link walked away from the pair and their conversation was lost to him within a few seconds.

Their words resounded in his head for a few moments.

Talon was dead?

The ranch was gone?

Malon was pregnant?

Why should he care?

Link turned off the street and entered the dusky building he frequented.

Sitting down at the bar he put down seven coppers and within moments they became a bottle of whiskey.

Link took a drink of the fiery liquid and felt himself melt away.

* * *

Link stood at the window, watching through the thick glass.

On the other side the red haired girl was talking to a man, but Link still had no clue as to who they were. Why was he so fascinated by that girl? What drew him to her?

Now a little kid walked into the room, no more than five or six years old.

The girl picked him up and-

Link started coughing. It seemed as if his lungs were trying to force their way out of him. His throat burned and he couldn't breathe, but still the coughing continued.

Link leaned on his knees trying to support himself, but within seconds his legs became weak too. He leaned toward the window and collapsed against it.

Link tried to hold onto the slick glass but it was hopeless, and he just began to slide down slowly.

There must have been blood in his palm because it was smudging the glass.

Looking back into the room, Link saw the trio of mother, father, and child. They all had smiles on their faces.

Link fell from the window and collapsed to the floor, unable to hold himself up any longer. He fell into a crumpled mass on the sidewalk and lay there. He couldn't feel anything, not his legs, or his arms, nothing.

He closed his eyes and for a moment he thought they might never open again.

But no, he was still alive.

All he could see was the grey stone in front of him.

He closed his eyes again and held them closed, trying to let go.

Link felt himself shivering, burning from the cold. He was only wearing the thin gown.

Why? Why was he lying here on the sidewalk, freezing to death without anyone here to help him?

Because nobody cared about him. Maybe they had once but not anymore. He was just some bit of filth on the sidewalk waiting for the last of his life to be leeched away. He wasn't even sad, he'd been dead for a long time. Just waiting for the day where he didn't have to keep walking around.

Somewhere miles away, there was a click then the slamming of a door.

Some footsteps that seemed distinct faded into the sea of noise.

Some voices seemed cheerful and ominous.

Link saw them again, saw her, whoever she was. Going away. Leaving him behind. Pushing him into this. What had been before? He couldn't remember. Just nothing, then her, and now more nothing.

The world above his head exploded.

Link's eyes shot open as shards of glass rained down onto him. He pulled his hands over his head in an attempt to protect himself.

Link sat up from his place on the sidewalk and shakily wiped the glass off of himself. He grabbed hold of the empty window sill and pulled himself to his feet slowly.

Link looked inside the house and saw a man standing there. He wasn't the same man as before, the one who had been with that girl.

He was grabbing things.

A vase that was on a table, he picked it up and held it under his arm then began to search the house for more things.

Link moved unsteadily as he climbed over window sill and into the house.

"What, what are you doing?" Link croaked, his throat still on fire.

The man spun around quickly and growled, "What? Hey, who are you?"

"Uh," Link mumbled, "I, I don't know. But what are you doing, in here?"

"What the hell does it look like?" He growled, "They got stuff I want, so now it's mine."

"You're, you're stealing, from them?" Link muttered.

"Yeah. Now get the hell outa here or I'll have ta fucking kill ya." The man lifted up a length of wood.

Link took a step away from the back, backing himself toward the window.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Why are you doing this?" Link asked, "Why don't you just go away and leave them alone?"

The man let out a snort of derision, "What the fuck are you talking about? Leave them alone. What are you? The cops? Are you some kind of a hero or something?

Link froze, remembering something that had happened a lifetime ago.

"I was…" Link muttered.

The man walked away from him, exploring the next room.

When he was a hero, what would he have done? Would he have run away? Stopped at the sight of a bit of wood? Would he have been afraid?

Link bent down and grabbed a large piece of glass from the ground. He held it in his hand like a knife. Link followed the man into the next room, walking slowly, his hands shaking from fear or cold or both.

He crept through the door way and saw the man trying to take a painting off of the wall.

Link was just a few feet away.

Something crunched under his foot and drew the man's attention.

"What the hell are you doin here? I thought I told you to…" Then he saw the piece of glass. "Hey what are ya gunna do with that?"

He released the painting and picked up the length of wood.

Before he was able to attack, Link lunged forward and tried to drive the glass into the man's heart.

It broke the skin but didn't go all the way through. The man cried out in pain and shoved Link away from him.

"Take this you fucker!" The man shouted, swinging the bat horizontally at Link.

Link tried to block it by holding his forearms in its path but the force of it knocked him back.

He remembered the bat. The last time he'd seen it.

That alley on the way to the bar.

Donnie and his gang.

Link looked up and saw now that the man was wearing a hat. He must be Donnie. But he was bigger than Donnie. And he had a bat.

He must be all three of them rolled into one.

The whole gang was here.

Link charged at the man and leapt onto him, attacking ferociously with the glass.

"Take this! Take this you fucker! Take this!" He screamed.

Link heard the screams of Donnie and his whole gang as he continued to attack the man.

Suddenly something forced him backwards, shoving him off of the man.

Link tried to get back at the man, tried to continue his assault but something blindsided him. A great force slammed in the side of his face and threw him to the ground. Link collapsed under the weight of the blow and lost all of his strength.

However, the blows continued to come for at least another minute.

Maybe it was an hour.

The onslaught came with a chorus of shouting, "You crazy fucker! I'll kill you!"

But suddenly the sensation disappeared and Link couldn't feel anything anymore. He couldn't feel pain or cold or sad or alone.

For the first time in years, he didn't feel alone.

He just felt nothing.

The world winked out and Link was left in complete darkness.

He was floating, floating far away from everything he'd ever known.

A voice floated along with him, whose voice it was, it didn't matter.

"Is this the end?" It asked, "Is it really all over?"

Link looked around at everything and saw a pinprick of light in the distance. As he looked it, the pinprick grew into a spot, then a hole in the darkness.

Maybe it led to some other place, something far away, somewhere out of this darkness.

"It's all going away."

The light filled the entirety of Link's vision and with no forethought or regret, Link stepped into it.

Before he went, the voice said one more thing.

"Good riddance."


End file.
